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Microbes as a biocontrol agents

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Biocontrol agents involve use of livings organisms to reduce the population of pathogens or pests. Microbes can be used as biocontrol agents to eradicate pests can be used. This requires knowledge of the life forms (predator + prey) that inhabit a particular area, their life cycles, and patterns of feeding and preferred habitats.

Example − 

  • Microbes can also act in the same manner. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is used to control butterfly caterpillars.

  • This bacterium is available in sachets as dried spores, which are sprayed on the crops. The spores get into the gut of the larvae and kill it while the other insects remain unperturbed.

  • By methods of genetic engineering, the genes of B. thuringiensis responsible for killing the larvae have been incorporated into the plants.

  • Cotton plant with Bt gene incorporated is called Bt-cotton.

  • The fungus Trichoderma living in roots of plants acts as a bio control agent against several plant pathogens.

  • Baculoviruses, particularly genus Nucleopolyhedrovirus,are also used as narrow spectrum insecticidal agents.

  • Bio control agents are particularly useful when useful insects are required to be conserved under IPM (integrated pest management programmes).




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Microbes as Biocontrol Agents

Ladybird and dragonflies are two common insects which are employed to eradicate aphids and mosquitoes respectively. Other than insects, microbes are also used as biocontrol agents. These microbes may include bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoans.?Microbes?as biocontrol agents act in three ways, either they cause the disease to the pest or compete or kill them.

Biotechnology has extended widely and it has developed many biocontrol agents. For example, Bacillus thuringiensis which is often referred to as Bt is a microbial biocontrol agent. Spraying the solution made of spores of Bt on plants will kill the butterfly caterpillars. The spores ingested release the toxins in the guts of the larvae and get them killed. Biotechnology has developed disease-resistant and pest-resistant plants by injecting B. thuringiensis toxin genes into plants,
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MICROBES AS BIOCONTROL AGENTS

 

# Biocontrol refers to the use of biological methods for controlling plant diseases and pests.
# Chemicals, insecticides and pesticides are extremely harmful to human beings and also these pollute our environment.
# The use of biocontrol measures will greatly reduce our dependence on toxic chemicals and pesticides.
# Biocontrol agents are which are useful in controlling plant diseases and pests are-

  • The ladybird, a beetle with red and black markings and dragon flies are useful to get rid of aphids and mosquitoes respectively.
  • Bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is used to get rid of butterfly caterpillars where dried spores of Bacillus thuringiensis are mixed with water and sprayed onto vulnerable plants such as brassicas and fruit trees and these are eaten by the insect larvae and in the gut of the larvae, the toxin is released and the larvae get killed.
  • Trichoderma species are free-living fungi found in the root ecosystem these are effective as biocontrol agents of several plant pathogens.
    • Baculoviruses are pathogens that attack insects and other arthropods and the majority of baculoviruses used as biological control agents are in the genus Nucleopolyhedrovirus.

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